Those of us who are hip trendsetters and thus watch Midsomer Murders (think Graham Norton, Mr & Mrs Adam Reynolds and myself) will remember the battle that the second Inspector Barnaby has with his Mrs as to what will be the first word that their baby says. "Mummy" she repeats often as she states at her daughter."Daddy" says the Inspector again and again. Natch, her first word is Dog, for we all know that - until his retirement - the star of the show was Sykes.
And thus the same battle is raging chez Winnifrith with Joshua now aged six months and a few days. But here too there is a third contender and I am doing my bit by repeating the phrase "Oakley is a cat and he says miaow" as my son sit on the sofa with the third amigo.
Joshua and Oakley get on like a house on fire. The morbidly obese three legged cat likes food and sleep and so does Joshua. Indeed the cat will sit next to Joshua's cot when the baby is screaming just saying nothing until Joshua goes to sleep. He is a great babysitter.
And thus this morning the Mrs and I both thought that Joshua's gurglings were actually a word. Yes it was Oakley. Not just once but, with a bit of prompting, several times. Okay it might have just been Oaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkeee gurgle gurgle but it might have been Oakley. Debate is raging.